Garcia was apparently pitching at less than full strength, but didn’t tell anyone that until after his poor start against the Nationals. General manager John Mozeliak called the team’s lack of knowledge about Garcia’s issue “frustrating” and it sounds like that’s an understatement.

Strauss reports that “several teammates were incensed to learn that Garcia started such a monumental game if indeed compromised physically.” On the other hand, Strauss also writes that “a faction within the organization has remained skeptical about the severity of Garcia’s condition.”

Which, when taken together, paints a very odd picture. Garcia’s teammates are angry he pitched hurt and Garcia’s team doesn’t believe he was all that hurt? Doesn’t that seem like it has to be one or the other, at the very least?

Garcia, who missed two months earlier this season with a shoulder injury, underwent an MRI exam yesterday. If he’s indeed removed from the NLDS roster he’ll be ineligible to rejoin the roster until the World Series.

I’m sure there’s something to this, but let me alert non-St. Louisans to the fact that Joe Strauss, while often an excellent source of Cards-related news, is also a shameless shit-stirrer. If you don’t believe me, check out his Twitter feed, which mostly consists of smugly dissing St. Louis and its team/media/stadium/fans. His delight at being able to report negative news from the clubhouse is almost pathological, so although it’s perfectly plausible that some of Garcia’s teammates are fed up with him for one reason or another, I’m loath to get too excited about this until we know more.

Strauss is indeed a shit stirrer, mostly in the fact that he seems to take delight with the reporting of anything negative.

That said, he doesn’t report things he doesn’t hear from informed sources – he’s not a columnist who gets paid for his opinion. He’s an old school beat reporter who actually reports

He’s was ahead of the curve on Pujols fractured relationship with the front office (he had that nailed 2 years before it actually happened) and Rasmus/Ryan wearing out there welcome and getting exiled.

Back to Garcia, I tend to believe where there’s smoke there’s fire.

He was already a bit of a head case, now he maybe an injury prone head case who the organization (both players and mgmt) may not trust.

Not a good combo going forward if true.

paperlions - Oct 9, 2012 at 2:00 PM

Yes, Strauss regular infuses his “reporting” with his opinion. Let’s not act like the guy isn’t hyper-biased. He doesn’t like the way the Cardinals do things now, he would have loved it if they had gone in the tank after they showed Jocketty the door, and he can’t stand they they are a good team still capable of winning.

Remember, this is the guy that started calling all Cardinal prospects Faberge Eggs because the new regime wouldn’t just trade them all away like they were worthless chips for veterany goodness. Nearly the entire starting lineup (minus Holiday and Beltran), the majority of the bullpen, and most of the starters are ALL guys that came up through the Cardinal system (either drafted or traded for when they were low-level MiLB guys).

Strauss is bitter, he hunts out any little kernal he can plant, water, and shine a bright light on….and take great joy in being that jerkwad.

Strangely Lazlo…
I am ALSO dying to see the Cardinals and Redlegs square off in the Championship Series.

wretchu - Oct 9, 2012 at 11:41 AM

All over St. Louis it’s well established that the guy is a headcase. When he’s going well he can be a very effective pitcher with Cy Young potential. But as soon as he lets a run come in, or if the defense boots a ball behind him, the flood gates are opened and he’s done for the night mentally.

I don’t see how you could. You can’t prove a guy’s mental health. I love VEB, but sometimes those guys rely too much on sabermetrics and disregard what they actually see. I mean c’mon, look no further than the debacle that happened immediately before he was put on the DL in the first place. “Hey Jaime, what’s wrong?” “Dunno, just didn’t have it.” “Well are you hurt?” “No.” “So you’re pitching 100%?” “I didn’t say that.” “So you are hurt?” “I don’t have any pain.”

I hate it when sports get reported like the people involved are on an episode of The Hills. Can’t these just be games and can’t the guys just be annoyed with Garcia because, like a great deal of athletes, he wanted to challenge himself and battle against the pain?

I try to not follow very much media during the playoffs including pre and post game shows. The games tell the story. Watch the games.

>>>”Doesn’t that seem like it has to be one or the other, at the very least?”

Only if you think the entire team thinks the same way. From Strauss’s article, it sounds like many on the team are upset that Garcia started the game knowing he was hurt, while there’s a “faction” in the clubhouse that believes Garcia’s injuries aren’t as severe as he’s making them out to be.